Everything. We have experienced each phase of Rick Steve's' work: his books:his tours, his store, his luggage,, his Monday night talks, his political position. One Saturday two months ago we were in his Edmonds store with my daughter, her husband and their two college age kids. We had maps out everywhere! Rick walked in and exclaimed "Wow, 3 generations of travelers. Great " read more

I wanted to wait until I had some distance before I left this review and I now think this is the time. This is very specific because it was so upsetting On the Paris and the heart of Normandy I had an incredibly difficult experience with the tour guide. The very first night at our orientation she stressed and was so adamant about absolutely not using ATM's on the outside of a place. She emphasized that we should wait until the bank or post office was open or risk the possibility of losing our ATM card. Since I travel to Paris once a year and usually don't have the need for very much cash I agreed this was probably a good idea. So when we were in a small town and told to go the next morning to the market to buy food for our lunch, I didn't have enough cash. And at that point every place to get it was closed. I expressed surprise that it was needed since every vendor at the Bastille market in Paris takes cards and I was berated at not knowing the difference between the customs in a small town vs a big city. A very nice person on our tour loaned me 20 euros which I repaid the next day. But,after I paid a vendor there for cheese, a local used a credit card so I guess she was wrong about that). Fine I didn't think it was a big deal. A day or 2 later as we approached a gorgeous chateau I jokingly asked if there was an elevator ( it had been a long day of walking). 2 other people made the same joke.We all thought it was funny. (Seriously, I know there are no elevators in a chateau) That evening as we were all going to our rooms she asked if she could speak with me. . She asked repeatedly if I was having a good time and I said it's been great. She told me she had reported my comments to the office (apparently about my not having cash for the local market & maybe my joke about the elevator? Really, this was not being a grouch, just following her instructions not to use cash machines outside of closed places she gave me a very strong impression I was going to be asked to leave the trip. She emphasized more than once how much money I was paying for the trip, how expensive it was,( which I found insulting especially since she didn't know who was paying for it or my financial status) ). she was reprimanding me as if I was a bad child. It was demeaning and i was in tears in my room that night. One other thing that I might not have brought up if this rest hadn't happened- in Paris there was a visit to the Louvre which I have been fortunate enough to visit many times over the decades and didn't feel the need to go again but I mentioned to her that I wanted to see a specific exhibit so as long as the Louvre was included in the tour I would go and break away towards the end of our guided tour (our guide was great) and go to it. When I was saying goodbye to the guide and mentioned it to him, he told me that I would have to buy a new ticket for it since we had been admitted on a group pass. I looked at her when he said that and she just shrugged. Did she not know this, or she did and didn't mention it. I also asked her why other charming wonderful museums aren't part of the trip instead of the Louvre which unfortunately is overcrowded and can be really hot. She pleaded with me to make a suggestion to the office , saying the guides hated going there but when they suggest changing it, they're not listened to. I'm disappointed that if she reported whatever she thought was unacceptable behavior on my part , that no one at RS's cared about reaching out to me. Anyway Normandy was wonderful and heartbreaking and amazing and a highlight of my trip. Her demeaning comments to me were really unkind and unnecessary. When I mentioned what she said to a couple of people they were shocked and thought it completely inappropriate. To sum up, large parts of the itinerary were wonderful, the hotels in Paris were good but not in neighborhoods I would have chosen ( Montmartre is a nice place to spend 1 day but no one wanted to be there- inconvenient to come back late afternoon to freshen up , then go out again so we just stayed out all day, not returning until time to go to sleep) the other hotels were fine, nothing great, nothing special . Montmartre was packed, incredibly crowded even in the evening. The included meals were ok, nothing great anywhere, surprisingly for France. read more

RS your will put you in a dangerous neighborhood just to save a buck. Be careful. Mostly single women and elderly on these tours and you will be put in subpar conditions in neighborhoods the locals won't even visit. read more

Despite or in spite of COVID 19 and it's host of variants - we took a two year postponed trip to the UK in 2022. We were gone the month of June with 2 weeks in England on our own with the help of the Rick Steve's book of course, followed by the Rick Steves' two week tour of Scotland. This is our third tour with Rick's company and despite all of them being exemplary - this one is top's in my opinion. The first was Italy, then Eastern Europe and now Scotland. We are healthy energetic fun loving and find the tours small enough but large enough to make new friends of all ages and walks of life! Why do we keep coming back to Rick Steves' Europe? It's not money! It's value! We love the program of roughly 1/2 day guided touring followed by 1/2 day on our own exploring, periodic scheduled group dinners and lot's of use of local public transportation, walking and education from local tour guides! Rick has the best tour guides IMHO! They make the trip, educational, fun and inspiring - they are professionals with extensive knowledge of their regions! read more

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it has been many years since I did a trip with Rick Steve's Europe, but I thought I should put in a review to warn people. the hotels were mediocre to disgustingly bad. in fact, one hotel was so filthy I didn't even stay a night. After seeing my room, I left and found a nice little hotel. I wasn't the only one to do so either. I told the tour leader, but was told that was the hotel, and that was that. When I returned home I wrote to the company to suggest they reimburse the travellers. The response was curt and was informed that there would be no refund. The restaurants and food was subpar at best. needless to say, that was the first and last of Rick Steve's trips I went on. Take my advice and go with another company. there are lots out there that are about the same price, but have higher standards. read more

My husband and I have taken 2 RS tours, the first an 8 day Best of Scotland tour, and the second a 14 day Best of Scandinavia tour, visiting Sweden, Denmark and Norway. We had booked the Scandinavia tour for the summer of 2023, but had to cancel last minute, as my husband needed to be treated for cancer. We got a partial credit for a future tour, which, ok, we cancelled a month in advance of the tour, we get it, there'll be no refund. We weren't happy, but understood. So the Scotland tour became our first tour, and it was mostly a positive experience. We had an excellent guide who was knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and handled issues with humor and good grace. She also had us using hand sanitizer as we boarded the bus each and every time, and no one on that tour got sick. The drawbacks to that tour were the food and hotel choices and the size of the tour. My husband and I made better food choices when we were our own than any of the restaurants that were chosen by the tour. The restaurants they chose were mostly crap, pure and simple. We had one good group meal in Inverness, and the rest were sub par. The hotels on the Scotland tour were better than the ones on the Scandinavia tour, but it's fairly hit and miss. We would have chosen better overall. It's all a bit budget for the money we paid. The other issue is the large size of the tour groups; both were 27 people, which to me feels like too many people. Plus, we were on obnoxiously huge buses for both tours. The Scandinavia tour...well, I wish we'd saved our money and just did it ourselves. Some hotels were fine, some were not great. The food they chose for group meals on this trip was laughably bad, and in such great food cities as Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo. We smartened up and skipped some, but felt really taken. A glass of wine or a beer were almost never included, which feels really cheap to me. Give me a glass of wine with my meal, we're in Europe. The tour itself was pretty good, and they chose good guides in the major cities for our walking tours, but this one positive doesn't balance out all the bad of the rest of it. There was no hand sanitizing on this trip, very little mention of it, in fact, and only two of us the tour managed to avoid getting the cold that tore through the group. Even our tour guide got sick. I understand that they don't want to make people feel like they're being babysat, but standing with a bottle of hand sanitizer at the door to the bus and offering everyone a little "squish" before they get on can really help. Overall, I find Rick Steve's tours don't offer anything that you can't get on line yourself, other than having a built in group of people to travel with, if that's important to you. But remember, you'll be in a herd of over 25 people wherever you go together. Not for me. The hotels run the gambit from OK to bad, and the restaurants are terrible. I'm giving two stars instead of one, as the Scotland tour was not bad. read more

We have taken 6 RS tours and are signed up for our 7th. The hotel locations are always very good, but sometimes the hotels themselves are less than ideal. Having said that, we have stayed in some very nice hotels on these tours. For us, the excellence in RS tours lies in the well thought out itineraries, knowledgeable and highly capable guides, local food experiences, excellent and roomy buses, adequate free time, and a very professional organization. Overall, a 5-star experience with mostly 2 and 3 star hotels. If you want to stay in luxury hotels with luxury service, I would suggest Tauck tours or perhaps Butterfield & Robinson, but be prepared to spend a great deal more. Attached are photos of some of the hotels we have experienced on Rick Steves tours. read more

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Went on a tour of Ireland, which was lovely. However, American Airlines lost my only piece of carry-on luggage. There was no room in the overhead bins, so someone took it and I did not see it until the last day of the tour. The tour guide connected with someone at Rick Steve's company because it showed up in the last hotel in Dublin. I heard nothing back from Travel Guard or Rick's office during my trip. So, I only had my purse for 10 days. My pain medication, hearing aids and iWatch were in my carry on, so I was in pain and stressed out for the whole trip. I asked for a repeat of the tour, at a discount and was told that it was NOT the responsibility of Rick Steve's. I was not looking to refund or complain, just that the tour was unpleasant for me. read more

We have been on 3 tours, Ireland, Greece, and Italy. The guides were all great and there were local guides for each city. Although all meals are not provided, all breakfasts and about half the lunches and dinners were. All the restaurants were superb. Suggestions were offered for the other meals. Transportation is primarily by bus with only half the seats taken. Only approx. 24 people on the tours. read more

I just went on the best of Europe teen family tour. I had Martin and Laural as my guides and they did a fantastic job and Laural especially was just fantastic and so friendly. The trip was perfectly planned never ran into issues my family loved it. On the tour it was so nice to hand the reins to someone else. It was nice to just step back and let the guides handle everything and lead us which was a huge stress relief. I would recommend this trip to anyone the only downside was the kids on the tour were not at the same sophistication level I would have expected which was turbulence at times. All in all the tour gave memories mostly good and others we can look back at and laugh at. read more

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My partner and I took a 2 week tour of RS France tour. This is our review: Hotels: are centrally located in the towns you are visiting. Hotels are old and run down. We where disappointed, RS tours are not cheap, but the hotels are, their in bad shape. Lots of stairs, no AC in the summer. Food: Some of your meals are with your fellow travelers at selected places by RS, and some at the hotel you're staying at, the meals are adequate nothing special. Home style meals, nothing more. We decided to skip those meals and venture out on our own, we found places to eat that where recommend by Googling it. The meals where amazing. Touring: museums, wine vineyard, ruins, the towns you're taken too visit/stay etc, are excellent, this part we enjoyed. His choice of towns to stay in and day visit are excellent. People on the tour: RS has a lot of people that I believe take a tour every year or so with his tour company. Based on conversations with them. My partner and I felt ostracized somewhat. They hang around with each other and they can be a bit condescending to you. At our tour meals together the conversation where about them and their glorious travels. They where like mini tour guides telling you what to visit on your free time. It got anoying after a while. My partner and I decided to stayed on our own and had fun doing what we wanted. Would we take another one if his tours? NO! The people alone on this tour drove us crazy, oddly enough they where all from Washington state, nice people but odd. As we where visiting the Marc Chagall art museum, we notice none of them where in awe of the art, they where in and out in 10 minutes. We spend over 2 hours in awe of his art in his museum. It was the same in Paris, we spend hours in each museum, they where in and out. It was like a check list to them, done this, check! We thought this was a repeated trip and they've seen it before, come to find out, it was there first trip to France. My partner and I explored the south of France on our own, visiting Antibes, St. Tropez, Villefranche-Sur-Mer, Monte Carlo. Instead of hanging around Nice. We had a blast. If you take RS Tour adventure out on your own, make your own memories read more

I know it sounds silly but I always get the feeling when Rick Steves is walking down those Cobblestone streets and that gorgeous background- he makes me feel like I was there in 1607! Don't mean to sound like a public broadcasting announcement....seriously. But with all joke aside, if it weren't for Rick Steves' Montréal TV show, I don't think we would've visited. Or learn about the Cozumel ruins before we visited. Yeah...his shows are a bit outdated- but it somehow gives me just a little insight on what to expect. For instance- he has strangely convinced me Sweden is the sh*t. And as much as I dislike the cold, I wanna visit and stay in one of those quaint looking towns and cabins. Love the destinations my husband and I have been to over the years. Our travels have only been by Air as I seriously don't like cruises. Forget about my husband- he's done many years in the Navy and there's no way he would be caught in a vacation cruise ship......that works out just fine for me! So no...I haven't traveled the world many times over, but watching Rick, kind of gives me something to look forward to. read more

We had a bad tour guide from Rick Steves travel when on the one week Rome trip. Not only did they waste our time on several places that were totally irrelevant but we missed out on some of the advertised sites. The tour guide was rude and treated us like children. For the most part, they took us to restaurants that were subpar for Italy. Was really disappointed. read more

Been here a few times and I can only dream of traveling as much as Rick Steves! So, it's really cool that Rick Steves has this store and informational center in his hometown of Edmonds. In my most recent visit here, my friend and I signed up for a class on Amsterdam prior to our trip and it was A-OK. The presentation did allow us to see some cool sites that we hadn't thought of before in Holland, but much of the presentation seemed to be promotional for Rick Steves' tour guides that you can purchase. I get it's a business, but we were under the impression that we would learn more travel 101 tips on Amsterdam and so forth. However, after the class they open a room in one of the buildings where people can ask staff questions about any travel plans, tour guides, backpacking supplies, etc... I actually learned more about planning for our Amsterdam trip after speaking with one of the employees who had visited and gave us advice. The staff definitely does a great job at helping out customers/future travelers. The store has a great selection of all of Rick Steves' books and DVDs in various editions. The books and DVDs are very insightful and I learned a lot about those European cities I had never visited from reading and watching Steves' materials. They also sell other travel supplies and items, such as luggage, money clips, locks, etc... If in the Seattle area and you're thinking about traveling around Europe, then definitely make a visit to Rick Steves' Europe. Unless you're thinking of purchasing a travel guide with Steves' company, I wouldn't recommend taking a class. Read the book instead! read more

This is a review of the store and not the trips (I've never been on them) or the books (I love them). The products are super cheap and they do not honor their "warranty." My carry on roller suitcase had a hole in it within just a few uses and one of the zippers, upon first use, broke. The store would not honor their warranty. read more

I'm so thankful to live close to this store. I aspire to see more of Europe and am very slowly making this dream come true. I mostly get here for the free travel classes which are offered on Thursday and Saturday. They can fill up and registration online in advance is required. I've probably taken close to 10 and they have all been helpful and informative. I have yet to have an actual conversation with Rick himself, but have enjoyed all the speakers who have presented at the classes. The travel center is conveniently located in downtown Edmonds and worth a stop in if you are out wandering about and have an interest in travel. They sell a variety of guidebooks as well as some essentials for travel. For a fee you can meet with a consultant to go over your specific questions, or its free to use the area to research on your own. They also offer group tours often lead by the people who present at the classes. I have yet to check one out myself, but they do make it look like a lot of fun and certainly less stressful than planning a trip on your own. read more

This is sn update on my old review. I just bought a new roller carry on bag here. i had one before but after msnt trips the handle gave way. i really liked that bag. it worked well. I would psck my old convertable bag in the bottom(also from here i am still using it slmost 20 years later) its good to stuff my laundry in at the end of a trip and check leaving my roller bag for things i pick up as long the way. i usually hit a grocery store my last day of a trip as nd fill it with things that as re hsrd to get at home. Any way back to my Roller bag. After my first one broke i picked up a different one from a good brand. It lasted less then half as long, so I'm back here for my new one. read more

This review is for Rick Steves Travel gear. Opted to return a carry on bag that was not quite as described on the website. No incentives offered for free shipping so I went ahead and paid $11.00. There was no pre-paid shipping label for returns included, and no return info included at all. Went to website and nothing jumped out, so I called customer service who assured me the info was on their site if I looked in the correct spot. Which I did find...eventually. Printed out the return form and headed to UPS. Their quote to ship the return was $33.00!!! USPS charged $18.30. My advice: do not buy anything from this site unless you are sure you will keep it. Cost me $30.00 to evaluate and return a $99.00 item. read more

In November-December 2019, I traveled on the Rick Steves' Best of Sicily tour. In a nutshell, I would GLADLY return to Sicily (in spite of two prior visits) as there is just too much to see and do. Pros: Palermo, Ortygia, Catania, Trapani and the mosaics at Villa Romana. Hotels were centrally located and staff were super helpful and attentive (in spite of my crappy Italian, which caught the eye of one receptionist who would not give me my room key until I stated my room number in Italian, LOL). Food in Sicily focused on seafood and while I didn't think it was as good as the food I had in Greece, it was still very, very good. And don't get me started on wines... Cons: Too much pasta during group meals (yes, this is a thing) and some disharmony between tour members (which was quite a downer by the end of the tour). read more

"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." -Saint Augustine. My first Europe through the Back Door (ETBD) tour, the grand daddy of them all, the "Best of Europe" tour was life-changing. I was going through a tough time in my life and needed to "just get away". A friend at work mentioned this fantastic travel company based near Seattle. With luck, I had snagged the last seat on this tour. To say I had the time of my life is an understatement. I had never been to Europe nor have I ever participated in group travel of this size and I was one of 3 solo travelers among couples, familes and/or friends. We happily traveled to 8 countries in 21 days. It truly was the must-see, best of Europe and definitely the best bang for your buck! The tour was amazing. There were TVs on the bus, but per Rick's directive, they were never used and we were "encouraged" to look out the bus windows and take the views in. Our faithful guides, Jeff and Katy were energetic, friendly and full of information to a seemingly wide-eyed group. I distinctly remember morning walks with locals who were so proud of their city, of delicious food that could only come from someone's grandmother kitchen, to the helpful and welcoming innkeepers and staff, the many, many,many stairs, the beautiful city architecture, amazing masterpieces in world-famous museums and the wonderous sights, sounds and flavors of every new country we stepped foot in. During our tenure on the tour, Katy and I forged strong a strong alliance which turned into a sweet friendship after the trip. She got engaged immediately after the trip, I flew up and attend her wedding a year later and have visted her several times since - when work took me to the Pacific Northwest. Somehow, I've been inexplicitly tied to this tour company. The following year, Rick Steves-who normally hosts a tour member party and flip through tour scrapbooks in Remond- decided that year to take it to the next level and open up the contest to the internet. I went against 25 other folks who set up websites and... won!! I won another tour for the following year and my bf and I went to the 14-day Spain and Portugal tour - another amazing 2 weeks. Believe it or not, the greatest gift I received from this group tour was not the tour itself, but the confidence it gave me to actually do solo trips by myself. Since those two trips, I've traveled around the world -by myself to meet up and/or make friends. I've gone solo to places like Austrailia, Trinidad & Tobego, Egypt and many more! This summer, I've signed up to go again to one of his Scandinavian & Russia tours and can't wait! If you're looking for a real, down to earth tour with unpretentious folks, this is the company for you. As Rick says, "Happy and Safe Travels!" Oh, I have to add one last thing; Thank you too, Mom and Dad, for putting me through a years and years accordion classes and bands. As totally dorky as it was growing up playing this instrument, I happily discovered that this talent was so much appreciated in the tubes of Paris, by Venetial gondaliers and in the Swiss Alps. An American tourist who can belt out a polka is always a good thing! :D Background: Rick Steves advocates smart independent travel. As host, writer and producer of the popular public television series Rick Steves' Europe, and best-selling author of 30+ European travel books, he encourages Americans to delve deep into Europe and become "temporary locals." He helps American travelers connect much more intimately and authentically with Europe -- and Europeans -- for a fraction of what mainstream shopping-focused tourists pay. read more

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No other tour will do! Rick Steves tours are the ultimate tour for Europe. They know when to get to the busy sites so there aren't so many visitors. There is never any wait when traveling with Rick. They know when to get to the restrooms - we are always the first ones there and leaving when the other tour buses arrive. The prices are super! There are never any extras requested while on the trip. All tips- everything is included. They teach the history, the art, the culture, the music, the current and past politics- a person could never want anything more while in a European trip. I wouldn't travel with any other tour. They are just simply the best. read more

I am still a big fan of these tours! As a seasoned traveler, the idea of going on a tour strikes a chord of panic with me. But not so with these small groups. And now I have not only been on 5 of their city tours, but 3 of their bus tours, I still am liking the "freedom within a framework" concept that these trips afford. If you want to spend your time with the group- you can always find someone to hang out with. But if you want to do your own thing- that is always a possibility as well. The tour size is never over 24( on my most recent trip there were 18) and the guides are fabulous telling you about their city and showing your their city in the best possible way! I also like that they take me to places I probably wouldn't find on my own and if you have a problem- there is someone you can call ( my recent guide ran to the pharmacy for me when I fell ill and couldn't go myself! So appreciated!!) The hotels are still not fancy ( it's the Rick Steve's way) but I usually can pay for an upgrade to get me to a room that is more to my liking. All in all a great way to see Europe!! read more

Absolutely the worst customer service..multiple phone calls and emails with no response

I have been putting off Yelping for years but finally decided to make my first review because of an extremely disappointing experience. Have been following and buying Rick Steves and his books for years and finally made it to his store as my wife and I are thinking of taking one of his tours. Drove to Edmonds thinking I would meet with one of their reps and be wooed into the specific, $7K ($3.5K each) tour we were thinking about. Instead we were told to wait for the two reps - both of whom were not excited to meet with us. After a ten minute wait, a seemingly frustrated, slovenly fellow gestured for us to join him in his office. We told him our plans and he more or less recommended we visit the internet for information about our trip and if we had any specific questions. I thought we would get at least a 5 minute sales presentation on why we should do the trip. I am not even sure the guy has been to Europe. So we asked some questions and then half way thru the 7 minute meeting a woman walked in and caught the dude's eye and I could just tell he wanted to get us out of his office. The experience was a complete waste of time and slayed me. Having serious doubts if I will take the tour now and am thinking of going solo or looking at another outfit. Rick very disappointed! Tell your people to get their shit straight. WTF. read more

maybe this will be seen by someone and they won't make the mistake we made - don't buy the terrible luggage he offers. we bought a backpack and it's one of the flimsiest, most poorly designed items i've ever owned. makes me wonder. read more

We're actually signed up for two Rick Steves back to back tours next year so we decided to stop by the travel store last week so hubs can check out their backpacks. We spent most of our time where all the backpacks and luggage are trying out the different sizes, zipping and unzipping bags and comparing the different styles. It would be nice if there was a small table nearby where we could spread out a couple of backpacks or bags side by side to compare the sizes and features of each one. Instead, my hubs had to do it on the floor which put him in the way of other shoppers. In the end, he did find a backpack that he feels is perfect for his needs (after several minutes sitting on the floor comparing the features of two different backpacks, so yeah RS, please provide a table). He intends to use it for the two RS tours we're taking as well as a trip to Machu Picchu and the Galápagos next year. We did check out the rest of the store and might order a couple more accessories online before our trip. The location of the store is also a great starting point to tour Edmonds on foot. Lots of shops and restaurants just around the corner. read more

First off, I gave Rick Steves one star because I didn't have any other options and felt he and his Company lack compassion and empathy! My husband and I signed up in January, 2019 for his Best of London in 7 Days Tour. We were looking forward to it as we did his Best of Paris tour in 2014. My husband was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer on July 21, 2019 and passed away from that disease on August 6, 2019. When I contacted Rick Steves to try and cancel my trip, I was told my husband's portion of the trip, $2,345.00 would be refunded, but my $2,345.00 would be in the form of a credit for future travel good for two years. I nicely asked for my portion be refunded as I won't be traveling without him for quite awhile. I just received today, the death certificate which I will fax to them, but they said once they get it they will process the one refund and one credit. Rick Steves, please do the right thing and refund my trip without adding to my grief of losing my husband of 35 years. read more

We did the 14 day best of Ireland and couldn't have been any happier. The accommodations were good, the people friendly and all tour guides were knowledgeable and passionate about their topics. Declan, our group guide was simply the best with his storytelling, singing and knowledge of history. For the price it cannot be beat. We had a private tour bus and even private tours of local sites that normally were closed, but opened just for us. I had a most memorable adventure and would love to do it again someday. Also, the food was phenomenal. Best two weeks of my life. read more

Rick Steves' Europe - Took this photo with my phone through the bus window. Amazing scenery everywhere - Tours Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

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I took the England tour. It was just ok. They did not do Stonehenge which I knew in advance and that did not bug me until I saw what we did do- a botanical Garden with an old Pin factory? We also took a hike that was really a walk, and the guide moved so fast they almost lost me when I stopped to take pictures. We saw a lot of churches which was not exactly exciting, I ended up going out to the graveyards to take picture- they were beautiful. The tower of London Beefeater tour was a confusing mess. I added days at the beginning for a special tour of Stonehenge (Pat Shelly's) and at the end for some other London tours. The "commaraderie" people talk about was not there. I really did not want to hear other people political opinions while I was on tour, but yet there they were. I mostly kept to myself. The food was TERRIBLE. read more

We have used Rick Steves books as guides to European travel and have found them them very acute and full of helpful information for lodging, restaurants and transportation. Our recent visit was to the Alsace, Champagne and Loire Valley regions of France in 2023. Helping us to pick a place to stay in the Loire Valley, Rick's France guide book recommended a wonderful B & B type former wine chateau with only 5 rooms, so you are away from the typical hotel enviorment and the place is convienently located to the West side of Tours, France and near the many Chateaux located in the Loire Valley. The B & B is "Le Clos de Ligre" located in Ligre, France about 10 minutes from Chinon. The place is operated by the owner, Martine Descamps, Martine treats all her guests like family and makes your stay memorable. If you are looking for a relaxing place to stay, I would highly recommed the area and this beautiful lodging. Booking is available directly with Martine @ www.le-clos-ligre.com. read more

My wife and I just finished a Rick Steves tour of Venice, Florence, & Rome. It was fantastic. Our principal tour guide Tina, who has been guiding Rick Steves tours for over 20 years, was warm, caring, energetic, and extremely knowledgeable about the history, art, and culture of Italy. She speaks many languages fluently, including English, Italian, Slovenian, and French. The tour included fascinating side trips to the island of Burano and to an olive farm and vineyard between between Florence and Rome. We had "skip the line" access to the top attractions in all three cities with additional expert private guides. Several wonderful group dinners in each city. read more

A front-door critique of America's lauded tour operator. A DISSENTING OPINION: RICK STEVES'S "EUROPE FOR DUMMIES." Unfortunately the tours are not at all same as watching the PBS series. I wanted to have at least a moderately decent time but did not for the reasons below. Undoubtedly overhyped, with at least one tour guide suffering from burn out. RS is the amazon.com, Dale Chihuly, or Starbucks of this niche travel sector, i.e., PBS viewers. It is also expensive for what you actually get. Beware of the bandwagon. There is strong evidence that negative reviews of trips on the RS site are removed. If your group tour leader is someone who is not your "cup of tea (as in cloying-cutesy, sometimes condescending California girl)"--well, you are stuck with that person for the entire length of the trip, which in some cases can be 17 days. It did not help matters, either, that on the very first day this tour guide disparaged--ridiculed, in fact--members of previous groups she had led. A friend who knows several tour guides tells me that all they seem to talk about--but only among themselves--is how awful the people they lead on trips are. Or that she warned the group that "if they expected X, Y, or Z...they were on the wrong tour." In fact, Rick Steves's only requirement is that people be under 80 years of age and that they can carry their own bags from the bus to the hotel. When I accidentally left something at the hotel we had left just hours ealier, she did nothing to help me get it back. In fact, she disappeared completely after lunch. With the unsinting and efficient aid of, first, the receptionist and, then, the owner of the hotel in Castleroc--the latter got on the phone and told them the name and address of the next hotel--, I got the article on its way (4 Euros, Italian post). All it took that day was, after the receptionist had spoken to the hotel, was for the guide to forward the address...and slip a note under my door. I don't believe our guide was telling the truth when she stated later on that she had twice telephoned the first hotel (the people at Castleroc had no trouble whatsoever phoning them). Something was fishy. Here I would like to take a stand against prejudice, conscious or unconscious, acknowleded or not. She also made racially tinged references that I felt were insulting to the racial minorities (Asian-Americans) that were part of our group ("We have with us on this trip Americans, Canadians, Australians, as well as other groups"). But I had difficulty hearing anything she said after that, as my intuition told me that deep down she had to be unhappy about having to deal with the problems of a group of 28. A very shrewd business man Rick Steves is, I will concede. He has written some moderately useful travel guides. He apparently is unaware of what actually transpires on his tours or doesn't really care, unless it affects his bottom line. But he does know that his buses do not have restrooms and that they do get stuck in traffic on the highways--though nowhere on his website does he mention these things. Or that there was not a single family-run pensione on his 16-day Best of Italy tour. I found it hilarious that the tour guide stated with a straight face that Steves, undoubtedly a multi-millionaire, still washes his laundry in his hotel room, etc. With expenses over $300 per day--which includes breakfasts and only half the dinners, as well as hotels, guides, and a bus driver, Steves, the Jim Nabor-ish boy-next-door turned businessman, still feels obligated to charge extra for wine-tasting excursions and even bottled water. From 2014 to 2015, the rates for RS tours were jacked up 12% while hotel rates in Europe plunged up to 65%. On the other hand, there is way too much time spent on a bus. The 17-day "Best of Italy" tour was mostly a lot of rushing around from one monument to the next. I would look at other tour companies: Road Scholars, OAT, and Gate1. The latter is at least a third less expensive while, the first is a respected nonprofit organization (Elderhostel). RS Tours, despite the PBS imprimature, are lean on deep cultural understanding. Those with a yen for a richer experience would be better advised to look elsewhere. (Imagine a 17-day Best of Italy tour without mention of the word "opera" or Verdi. On the other hand, "gelato" came up more than a dozen times). One does not see Europe "through the back door" here, only a gazillion Chinese or American tourists hyperkinetically snapping photos. read more

We are taking a 2 week trip to Europe with our teenagers. I have been a fan of Rick Steve's books and television series for years. I needed some travel help understanding which type of rail pass to buy for the multiple countries we will be traveling to. I called Rick's Edmond's Wa, store. I was willing to pay the fee for a travel consultation if necessary. I was transferred to a middle age woman who helps you with Rail Travel. I was prepared to buy the rail passes through Rick Steve's...but decided not to after the woman was so terse, uninterested and rude. In an irritated tone, she said, "Just give me the countries you are traveling to and I'll tell you what you need..and hurry up because I have customers here." I gave her the countries but told her I had a few questions. She said, "Just buy this pass...I have other customers". She didn't give me time to even ask the questions. I was shocked after we hung up. I was not going to spend any money without my questions answered. So I called Rail Europe out of NY. The agent spent 2 hours with me and I spent $2600 on rail passes and train tickets. In the end the Rail Europe agent said, "I don't know how you could have done all this on your own, it was very complicated." EXACTLY!!! I am so so glad I did not go with Rick Steve's Rail Travel Consultant who just wanted me to "hurry up and by something" She would have steered me wrong. There are other more knowledgeable resources out there for travel info....I'd think twice before going to Rick Steve's. read more

My review is NOT for the store,but for the $50 30 minute consultations they provide. My fiance and I booked a consultation with one of the people on staff to discuss our upcoming honeymoon. We have been planning it for at least 6 months and actively thinking about it for 3. I have read the Rick Steves' book as well as the Lonely Planet and browsed travel forums. We went to the consultation with high hopes, we have heard GREAT things about the consultations.... Our consultant could barely answer any of our questions and for at least 85% of them either 1) referred us to reading the book (did it) or 2) call the travel bureau for the country we will be visiting...um duh! 3) poorly use Google to look up things we wanted to know. We asked fairly basic questions and wanted more information on things splattered in the books and on the travel forum and the guy couldn't help us. Bless his heart, but he was not prepared or knowledgeable. We literally did not learn a thing except to read the book and use the internet! The travel philosophy they employ is one of budget friendly and well researched...well we are going on a budget friendly trip that has been well researched. We wanted more information about smaller items and things we shouldn't miss when we rent a car and drive in Europe and put our new marriage to the test on a honeymoon...and he had NOTHING. Stick to the books and TripAdvisor.com, the consultation was a complete waste of money and time. We did get a nice no-tear map, but it wasn't worth $50 and it was a map of a surrounding country that ours happened to be on as well. read more

Rick has well served the travel industry for many decades and his efforts are appreciated. However, the time has come to introduce the next generation of travel reporters who can go in a different direction than the cookie cutter approach by Steve's whose programs all look alike. I'm hopeful PBS Stations will find a new travel group who can build on some of the good qualities exhibited by Steve's but put their own contemporary spin on it. read more

I have to start this review with saying that I admire Rick Steves and I think that he is a great guy! So I was very excited when I learned that he had a store! But when I walked in, I was instantly disappointed.... No one greeted us, no one was smiling, and when I asked an employee about the wall adapters, she was very impatient with me. I have never ever been to Europe and I had no idea that the UK has different plugs than the rest of Continental Europe so I just wanted to know if I really needed both. Man.. is that a crime? The price of the adapters were pretty good, though. $1 for each. Anyway, my opinion of Rick hasn't changed, but I don't really want to go back to his store. :[ read more

My husband and I are fans of Rick Steves, and like the fact that this store is so close to where we live. We're going on a two week vacation to England, and I've been hitting that store on a semi-regular basis. My rating is a solid three, because I've purchased a lot of very useful items there at very reasonable prices (power adapters, sleep masks, etc). I also bought his England book, as well as the pocket London book. Both have made planning our trip less stressful and very organized. The prices of this books at his store are pretty much exactly what they cost at any other book store. I also purchased luggage from his website - a suitcase that converts into a backpack, and a matching small tote bag. They pack very well, and are sturdy. I've made a point to not deal with the employees at this store, because they are anything but welcoming. They don't even look up from their computers, or from their conversations with each other. They act annoyed when they have to help people, or even ring them up. Two stars taken away. Come on, guys - I work in customer service and I am not exactly a people person...but I can at least be pleasant to them. It's not hard. Go to this store for packing supplies, guidebooks, and DVDs. It's worth it for that alone. If you really don't want to bother with crappy customer service, then The Savvy Traveler is practically just around the corner. They have a large selection of travel supplies, and they are incredibly helpful and friendly. read more

Took the Heart of Italy tour and Ben was our guide. The tour was everything we expected and more. Although my wife had been to Europe as a student I had never been. Sure glad we choose a RST. We were concerned about being part of a group for 9 days. Worked out just fine because like minded people are attracted to this type of tour. Have made many friends for life. Ben was fantastic. Passion, knowledge wit and charm all rolled into one. Loved the fact that they also bring in local guides who are also passionate about their respective area. Tour buses were very comfortable and provided Ben with an opportunity to brief us about the upcoming location. Every group dinner was fantastic, Really memorable experiences. Wine flowed freely at all. Loved tasting regional favorites. Truffles, wild boar, rabbit, pork shank, riboletta, etc. Wine tasting in a Etruscan cave by a Sommelier was something we will never forget. Great mix of free and organized time. Hotels were all 3 or 4 stars. Comfortable and clean but not the Ritz. All were strategically located and family run. Definitely will consider another tour. Money well spent. read more

After many years of independent travel we decided a few years ago to take a RS tour and have had wonderful experiences. Love the small hotels they use. There is a really good mix of tour time and free time and included meals and meals on your own. The tour guide and local guides are very knowledgeable. By and large the people these tours attract are fun people and we've made many great friends. These tours are not for everyone and you should read the description as to walking and handling your luggage. Rick has a no grump clause and grumps tend to self select out. The negative reviews seem like grumps that didn't self select. read more

If I could give more stars I would. Having never been on a guided tour before my wife and I had some reservations about moving almost every day, following a schedule, etc. etc. But we did have friends that had taken a tour of his the year before and they convinced us that his trips are worth it. And, of course, we had seen many of his shows on PBS and like his approach to travel - go lightly, see the country's major treasures and art, and meet locals and eat their food. We took his Best of Turkey tour this spring and it was the best vacation I've ever taken. We were wowed by the beauty and simplicity of this fascinating country and awed by its history and culture. We ate with locals (we were hosted for lunch in a small village by a local), danced and sang, swam in the Mediterranean, met with an Imam and made many new friends along the way. Seriously, this was a fabulous time - not a moment of wasted time or frustration; RS hires great guides (Sidar Duman was wonderful) and there were just so many great surprises. If you want to see Europe (through the back door) and experience it at a local level, Rick Steves does a fantastic job. Here's a link to a fabulous website of someone that took the exact same tour as we did and she did a great job of capturing all that it encompassed http://www.laurasabraw.com/home.htm. read more